He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse suggests God didn't just allow compassion, but actively engineered it. He made the captors, even hardened enemies, feel pity for His people, a powerful reminder that God can sway anyone's heart to show mercy. This wasn't about the captives earning favor, but about God intervening to fulfill promises and work His purposes, even through unlikely means.
He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm recounts Israel's history of unfaithfulness and God's persistent mercy, culminating in their exile. After detailing their sins that led to captivity, this verse offers a glimpse of hope, describing how God moved the hearts of their captors to show them pity. The psalm concludes with a plea for God to deliver His people and praise for His enduring faithfulness.
When people are at their lowest, oppressed by enemies, who or what can change the captors' minds? It's not about human effort, but divine intervention.
This verse reveals God's sovereign hand at work, not just in allowing hardship, but in orchestrating moments of mercy even from the unlikeliest sources.
God's Control Over Hearts
Even the hearts of enemies are in God's hands. He can 'turn' them, just as he can turn them to hate (Psalm 105:25) or, as here, to pity. This wasn't a natural softening of the captors' hearts; it was a direct act of God's will, moving them to show compassion to His people.
The Purpose of Pity
This compassion wasn't just a fleeting feeling. It led to tangible actions: allowing liberties, granting privileges, and enabling the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, as seen in the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah. God's mercy has a purpose, often enabling His people to flourish again.
Why would enemies suddenly show kindness? This verse points to a deeper reason rooted in God's faithfulness, even when His people stumbled.
Psalm 106 recounts Israel's repeated unfaithfulness and God's persistent mercy. This verse stands as a testament to that covenant faithfulness.
God's Unchanging Nature
Despite Israel's failures, God did not abandon them. His mercy towards them, even in captivity, flowed from His covenant promises. He remembered His people and acted on their behalf, demonstrating that His love is not based on our performance but on His unchanging character.
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A Pattern of Redemption
This incident serves as a powerful reminder that even in the darkest times of judgment and exile, God's redemptive plan is still in motion. He uses the very systems and people that oppress His children to bring about their eventual deliverance and restoration.
Understand the original words
racham · Hebrew Verb
A feeling of compassion or sympathy that results in merciful action, often used to describe God’s attitude toward His people or the favor they receive from others under His sovereignty.
This psalm reflects on God's faithfulness through Israel's cycles of disobedience and exile, highlighting His ultimate power to turn even the hearts of their captors towards pity and restoration, as seen in the Babylonian and Persian periods.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and scattering them throughout their empire. This event marks a significant turning point in Israel's history.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II conquers Jerusalem and deports a significant portion of the Judean elite, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population. This is the most devastating blow to the Judean kingdom and marks the height of their suffering in exile.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, overthrows the Babylonian Empire. This conquest ushers in a new era for the exiled Judeans.
538 BC— this verse
Edict of Cyrus for Return
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Judeans to return to their homeland and rebuild their Temple. This marks a pivotal moment of hope and a direct fulfillment of prophecy, allowing them to be pitied and aided by their captors.
c. 445 BC
Nehemiah's Return to Jerusalem
Under the Persian King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah is permitted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls. This further demonstrates the favor shown to the returned exiles by their Persian rulers.
This passage echoes Solomon's prayer at the temple dedication, specifically asking God to show compassion to His people when they are exiled, which directly relates to the outcome described in Psalm 106:46.
Daniel 1:9Daniel's experience in Babylon, where he 'obtained mercy' from the official in charge, is a specific historical instance of God causing His captive people to be pitied, as the Psalm states.
Ezra 1:1-6This account shows God stirring the heart of King Cyrus to allow the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, demonstrating God's power to influence captors to show compassion.
Nehemiah 1:11Nehemiah prays for success in his mission to rebuild Jerusalem, asking that God would grant him and his people 'mercy in the sight of this man,' highlighting the dependence on the favor of their captors, a situation God orchestrates.
Lamentations 3:31-33This passage reflects on God's faithfulness even in suffering, noting that He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men, suggesting His ultimate purpose is not destruction but restoration and compassion, aligning with the sentiment of Psalm 106:46.
clarkePsalms 106:46: "He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives."
He made them also to be pitied - This was particularly true as to the Babylonish captivity; for Cyrus gave them their liberty; Darius favored them, and granted them several privileges; and Artaxerxes sent back Nehemiah, and helped him to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. See the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah; and see Calmet.
pulpitPsalms 106:46: "He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives."
Verse 46. - He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Solomon had prayed that so it might be (1 Kings 8:50). The fact that compassion was shown to many of the captives appears from 2 Kings 25:27-30; Daniel 1:3-5, 19; Daniel 2:49; Daniel 3:30; Daniel 6:28; Ezra 1:4-6; Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 2:1-8.
The verse suggests God didn't just allow compassion, but actively engineered it. He made the captors, even hardened enemies, feel pity for His people, a powerful reminder that God can sway anyone's heart to show mercy. This wasn't about the captives earning favor, but about God intervening to fulfill promises and work His purposes, even through unlikely means.
This psalm recounts Israel's history of unfaithfulness and God's persistent mercy, culminating in their exile. After detailing their sins that led to captivity, this verse offers a glimpse of hope, describing how God moved the hearts of their captors to show them pity. The psalm concludes with a plea for God to deliver His people and praise for His enduring faithfulness.
This psalm recounts Israel's history of unfaithfulness and God's persistent mercy, culminating in their exile. After detailing their sins that led to captivity, this verse offers a glimpse of hope, describing how God moved the hearts of their captors to show them pity. The psalm concludes with a plea for God to deliver His people and praise for His enduring faithfulness.
"He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive." — The verse suggests God didn't just allow compassion, but actively engineered it. He made the captors, even hardened enemies, feel pity for His people, a powerful reminder that God can sway anyone…
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Last reviewed October 2026