Psalms 106:40-43
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. Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to read this as God simply being angry. But look closer: the text says his own people, his own inheritance, became abhorrent to Him. This isn't just righteous judgment; it's the pain of a deeply wounded Father seeing His beloved children act like strangers, making His heart ache with disgust.
After recounting Israel's repeated unfaithfulness and how they learned the ways of the nations they were supposed to conquer, this verse describes God's righteous anger. This anger wasn't just a passing emotion, but led to His people being treated with such displeasure that it was as if He abhorred His own cherished possession.
The Bible talks about God's anger, but what does that really mean? It's not a sudden outburst, but a holy response to sin.
The phrase 'anger of the LORD was kindled' uses imagery of a fire igniting. This isn't like human anger, which can be irrational or uncontrollable. Instead, God's anger is a righteous and holy response to rebellion and sin. It's a 'kindled' fire because it's a just reaction to the people's actions, burning against what is evil and contrary to His nature.
Think of it like a protective parent seeing their child deliberately run into a dangerous fire. The parent's 'anger' isn't about malice, but a fierce, protective response to the danger and the child's foolish choice.
This divine anger is also called 'wrath.' It signifies God's settled opposition to sin, a profound grief and judgment against what destroys His creation and His people.
How could God 'abhor' His own people? This word is strong, and it reveals a deep sorrow in God when His people turn away.
The word 'abhorred' is incredibly powerful. It doesn't mean God stopped loving His people, but that He was grieved to the point of detesting their sin and the resulting broken relationship. Israel was His 'heritage,' His chosen people, the object of His special care and affection.
When they repeatedly sinned and turned to other gods, they acted in ways that were repulsive to God's holy nature. It was like a precious inheritance being defiled or ruined. God's 'abhorrence' is directed at the sin and the rejection of His covenant, not at the fundamental identity of His people whom He chose out of love.
This expression highlights the gravity of their disobedience. It shows that God's chosen people were not exempt from His judgment when they acted contrary to His will. It's a profound picture of how sin can grieve the heart of God and lead to painful consequences, even within His own covenant relationship.
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.
This verse reflects the deep anguish and judgment that followed Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, particularly the catastrophic consequences of the Babylonian exile, which served as a stark reminder of God's displeasure with His people's sins.
c. 1000 BC - 700 BC
Conquest and Settlement of Canaan
After entering the Promised Land, Israel failed to completely drive out the Canaanite nations as commanded. This led to intermarriage and assimilation of foreign customs and idolatry.
c. 750 BC - 600 BC
Periods of Idolatry and Disobedience
Throughout the period of the Judges and into the early Monarchy, the people of Israel repeatedly turned away from God to worship other gods, leading to cycles of sin, punishment, and repentance.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, and deported a large portion of the population into exile.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Decree
Cyrus, king of Persia, conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
This passage highlights God's choosing of Israel as His special possession, making the 'abhorrence' in Psalm 106:40 even more profound given this special relationship.
Psalm 78:59-62This psalm recounts a similar historical pattern of God's anger and displeasure with Israel's sin, showing this theme of divine judgment against His people is a recurring motif in Israel's history.
Isaiah 43:22-24Here, God expresses His weariness and displeasure with Israel's sins, mirroring the sentiment of being 'tired of' His people as implied by 'abhorred' in Psalm 106:40.
Ezekiel 20:23-24This passage describes God giving His people 'statutes that were not good' as a form of judgment, which resonates with the idea of God turning away from or abhorring His people due to their transgressions.
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 being angry. But look closer: the text says his own people, his own inheritance, became abhorrent to Him. This isn't just righteous judgment; it's the pain of a deeply wounded Father seeing His beloved children act like strangers, making His heart ache with disgust.
After recounting Israel's repeated unfaithfulness and how they learned the ways of the nations they were supposed to conquer, this verse describes God's righteous anger. This anger wasn't just a passing emotion, but led to His people being treated with such displeasure that it was as if He abhorred His own cherished possession.
After recounting Israel's repeated unfaithfulness and how they learned the ways of the nations they were supposed to conquer, this verse describes God's righteous anger. This anger wasn't just a passing emotion, but led to His people being treated with such displeasure that it was as if He abhorred His own cherished possession.
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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.
natsal · Hebrew Verb
To deliver or rescue someone, often used of God acting on behalf of His people to save them from physical danger, enemies, or judgment.
marah · Hebrew Adjective
A state of defiance against God’s authority; it refers to a heart that refuses to submit to His revealed will and commands.
avon · Hebrew Noun
Moral perversity or deviation from the standard of God’s law; it denotes not just the act of sinning but the twisted nature of wrongdoing and its guilt.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the returned exiles completed the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, marking a significant step in national and religious restoration.
"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 being angry. But look closer: the text says his own people, his own inheritance, became abhorrent to Him. This isn't just righteous judgment; it's the pain of…
