Psalms 106:40-42
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. Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It’s easy to read this as God simply getting angry and disgusted, but the word "abhorred" here carries a profound sense of rejection, like a craftsman disgusted with flawed work. It highlights the tragic consequence when God's own cherished people, His "heritage," so thoroughly reject Him that they become an object of divine displeasure. This isn't just anger; it's the sorrowful alienation that comes from a broken relationship.
The psalm has been recounting Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, detailing their repeated sins from the wilderness wanderings to their conquest of Canaan. Despite God's repeated acts of deliverance and mercy, they continued to turn away from Him and adopt the practices of the surrounding nations. This verse marks the consequence of that ongoing rebellion, describing God's intense anger and His turning away from His chosen people due to their persistent sinfulness.
Have you ever felt a burning anger over something deeply wrong? God's anger isn't like ours. It's a powerful, holy response to profound rebellion.
The Nature of Divine Wrath
The verse speaks of God's anger being "kindled." This language, common in Scripture, compares divine anger to a fire. It's not a hot-headed, uncontrolled rage, but a righteous and holy response to sin and rebellion. It signifies a profound displeasure and a just consequence.
Why His Own People?
What makes this verse particularly striking is that this anger is directed at God's "people" and His "heritage." This isn't a stranger's transgression, but the actions of those He specifically set apart, loved, and called His own. Their sin is an offense precisely because of their unique relationship with Him. It's like a parent's deep disappointment when a beloved child strays.
The word 'abhor' carries a weight of disgust and revulsion. Imagine God, the Creator, feeling this towards those He called His own.
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The Depth of Displeasure
The term "abhorred" signifies a deep disgust and rejection. It’s not just anger, but a turning away in revulsion from something that has become utterly offensive. When applied to God and His people, it paints a vivid picture of how sin can damage even the most sacred relationships.
The Consequence of Rebellion
This abhorrence isn't arbitrary. It's the just consequence of the people's persistent unfaithfulness, their turning away from God's commands and love. They acted in ways that were contrary to His very nature and their covenant promises, leading God to treat them as if they were an abomination, a source of shame and disgust. It underscores that God takes sin, especially within His covenant community, very seriously.
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.
lachats · Hebrew Verb
In a biblical context, oppression involves the unjust treatment, cruel subjugation, or crushing of someone, often highlighting the vulnerability of the victim and the wickedness of the oppressor.
This verse reflects on the devastating consequences of Israel's persistent disobedience, particularly their adoption of Canaanite idolatry, which ultimately led to the destruction of their land and Temple by the Babylonians. It underscores that even God's chosen people faced severe judgment when they abandoned Him.
c. 1000 BC - 586 BC
Period of the Judges and the Monarchy
Following their conquest of Canaan, Israel repeatedly fell into idolatry and syncretistic practices, intermarrying with the Canaanites and adopting their customs. This period saw cycles of disobedience, divine judgment, and eventual repentance and deliverance.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria
The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its people. This event served as a stark warning to the southern kingdom of Judah.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem and deported a significant portion of the population, including Jehoiachin the king and many skilled craftsmen, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, the heart of Israelite worship. The remaining population was largely exiled to Babylon, leaving the land desolate.
c. 539 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon and issued an edict allowing the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marked the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage highlights God's specific choice of Israel as His own, making His anger and rejection in Psalms 106:40 a profound betrayal of that unique relationship.
Jeremiah 7:29This verse connects the 'generation' that provokes God's anger to their inherited sin, echoing the historical context of Psalms 106 where Israel's ancestral failings lead to divine displeasure.
Ezekiel 20:8Here, God speaks of His anger being poured out upon Israel due to their rebellion in Egypt, a historical parallel to the broader theme of God's justified wrath against His people's persistent sin as seen in Psalms 106.
Psalm 78:59This verse directly parallels the sentiment of God's anger and abhorrence due to Israel's provocations, serving as an earlier expression of the same theme found in Psalms 106:40.
Lamentations 2:3This passage describes God's furious wrath as a consuming fire, directly reflecting the imagery and intensity of God's anger that 'was kindled' against His people in Psalms 106:40.
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 easy to read this as God simply getting angry and disgusted, but the word "abhorred" here carries a profound sense of rejection, like a craftsman disgusted with flawed work. It highlights the tragic consequence when God's own cherished people, His "heritage," so thoroughly reject Him that they become an object of divine displeasure. This isn't just anger; it's the sorrowful alienation that comes from a broken relationship.
The psalm has been recounting Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, detailing their repeated sins from the wilderness wanderings to their conquest of Canaan. Despite God's repeated acts of deliverance and mercy, they continued to turn away from Him and adopt the practices of the surrounding nations. This verse marks the consequence of that ongoing rebellion, describing God's intense anger and His turning away from His chosen people due to their persistent sinfulness.
The psalm has been recounting Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, detailing their repeated sins from the wilderness wanderings to their conquest of Canaan. Despite God's repeated acts of deliverance and mercy, they continued to turn away from Him and adopt the practices of the surrounding nations. This verse marks the consequence of that ongoing rebellion, describing God's intense anger and His turning away from His chosen people due to their persistent sinfulness.
"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. Their enemies oppressed them, and the…" — It’s easy to read this as God simply getting angry and disgusted, but the word "abhorred" here carries a profound sense of rejection, like a craftsman disgusted with flawed work. It highlights the tr…
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