Psalm 106:40-42
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The text doesn't just say God was angry; it emphasizes that this anger was so intense it led Him to "abhor" His own "inheritance." This highlights the profound grief and repulsion God feels when His chosen people, whom He uniquely set apart for Himself, turn away and act abominably. It's a stark reminder that sin isn't just a personal failing, but a wound inflicted on the very relationship God cherishes.
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)
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history of repeated unfaithfulness, detailing how they repeatedly failed to obey God, even after experiencing His miraculous deliverance and provision. This verse marks a shift from detailing their sins to describing God's resulting anger and judgment against His own people, who had treated Him like a forgotten inheritance. The verses that follow will describe how God, despite His anger, still showed mercy for the sake of His covenant.
The Bible doesn't shy away from describing God's anger. What does it mean for the Lord's 'anger to be kindled'?
When the psalmist says the "anger of the LORD was kindled," he's using vivid imagery to describe God's righteous displeasure. Think of a fire being lit – it starts small but can grow intensely. This isn't a fleeting human emotion, but a holy and just reaction to sin and rebellion.
The Cause of God's Anger
This anger isn't random; it's a direct consequence of the people's actions. They had forgotten God's mighty deeds, chased after idols, and refused to obey His commands. Their persistent sin ignited God's fury, leading to consequences.
More Than Just Emotion
While we use words like 'anger,' God's wrath is a perfect and controlled response to evil. It's not about God losing control, but about His holiness reacting against anything that opposes Him. This kindled anger isn't meant to destroy His people ultimately, but to bring them back to Himself through discipline.
The verse says God 'abhorred his heritage.' How can God, who chose Israel, feel such disgust towards them?
The word 'abhorred' here is powerful and deeply unsettling. It conveys a sense of loathing, disgust, and turning away in contempt. For God to 'abhor' His own 'heritage' – the people He specifically set apart and claimed as His own – reveals the gravity of their sin and the depth of His disappointment.
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The Shock of Rejection
Israel was God's chosen people, His inheritance. He had lavished them with love, rescued them from slavery, and given them promises. For them to turn away from Him and embrace sin was not just disobedience; it was a profound betrayal that wounded God's heart and provoked His deep displeasure.
A Mirror to Our Own Lives
This doesn't mean God stopped loving His people in an ultimate sense. The commentaries remind us that this abhorrence is often expressed through His providential dealings – allowing them to suffer the consequences of their sin. It serves as a stark warning: when we repeatedly turn from God, we risk incurring His deep displeasure, making His 'inheritance' feel like something He turns away from in sorrow and judgment.
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 the profound sorrow and divine anger over Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, culminating in the devastating Babylonian exile – the ultimate expression of God's displeasure with His chosen people when they repeatedly turned from Him.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God rescues the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, powerfully demonstrating His might and covenant faithfulness.
c. 1400-1350 BC
Conquest of Canaan
The Israelites, under Joshua, begin to take possession of the Promised Land, but fail to completely drive out the inhabitants as commanded.
c. 1350 BC - 1050 BC
Period of the Judges
A cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance characterizes this era, as Israel repeatedly disobeys God and faces the consequences.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy Established
Saul, David, and Solomon rule over a united Israel, a period of relative strength and peace, though seeds of division are sown.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After Solomon's reign, the kingdom splits into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and ending its existence as a distinct entity.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling much of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This is the ultimate consequence of generations of unfaithfulness.
This passage highlights that God chose Israel not because they were numerous, but out of His love, making their later rejection even more poignant.
Jeremiah 7:29The prophet laments that God has 'disowned' His people, drawing a parallel to the 'abhorrence' mentioned in Psalms 106:40, emphasizing the deep disappointment caused by Israel's sin.
Psalm 78:59This verse directly links Israel's repeated provocations to God's anger and His turning away from His heritage, echoing the sentiment of Psalms 106:40.
Ezekiel 5:9God declares that He will bring such judgment upon Jerusalem that it will be a 'reproach and a byword, an object of ridicule and horror' to its neighbors, mirroring the idea of God abhorring His own people.
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.
The text doesn't just say God was angry; it emphasizes that this anger was so intense it led Him to "abhor" His own "inheritance." This highlights the profound grief and repulsion God feels when His chosen people, whom He uniquely set apart for Himself, turn away and act abominably. It's a stark reminder that sin isn't just a personal failing, but a wound inflicted on the very relationship God cherishes.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history of repeated unfaithfulness, detailing how they repeatedly failed to obey God, even after experiencing His miraculous deliverance and provision. This verse marks a shift from detailing their sins to describing God's resulting anger and judgment against His own people, who had treated Him like a forgotten inheritance. The verses that follow will describe how God, despite His anger, still showed mercy for the sake of His covenant.
The psalmist is recounting Israel's history of repeated unfaithfulness, detailing how they repeatedly failed to obey God, even after experiencing His miraculous deliverance and provision. This verse marks a shift from detailing their sins to describing God's resulting anger and judgment against His own people, who had treated Him like a forgotten inheritance. The verses that follow will describe how God, despite His anger, still showed mercy for the sake of His covenant.
"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…" — The text doesn't just say God was angry; it emphasizes that this anger was so intense it led Him to "abhor" His own "inheritance." This highlights the profound grief and repulsion God feels when His…
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Last reviewed October 2026
