Comment – Psalm 106 is said to have been written by the first group of returnees to Israel amid a thousand difficulties, due to the presence of adverse people who posed great obstacles to them, so much so that the psalmist asks for God's merciful help to help his people. The sins committed in the past are humbly recognized with the hope of salvation that can only come from God the Father Almighty.
Psalm 106 complete
[1] Alleluia. Celebrate the Lord, because he is good, because his mercy is eternal.
[2] Who can narrate the wonders of the Lord, make all his praise resound?
[3] Blessed are those who act with justice and practice the law at all times.
[4] Remember us, Lord, for the love of your people, visit us with your salvation,
[5] because we see the happiness of your elect, we enjoy the joy of your people, we glory in your inheritance.
[6] We have sinned like our fathers, we have done wrong, we have been wicked.
[7] Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders, did not remember many of your benefits and rebelled against the sea, near the Red Sea.
[8] But God saved them for his name, to manifest his power.
[9] He threatened the Red Sea and was dried up, led them among the waves as if by a desert;
[10] he saved them from the hand of those who hated them, redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
Recommended readings- Psalm 76: complete, commentary
- Psalm 62: complete, commentary
- Psalm 102: complete, commentary
- Psalm 6: complete, commentary
- Psalm 20: complete, commentary
[11] The water submerged their opponents; none of them survived.
[12] Then they believed his words and sang his praise.
[13] But soon they forgot his works, they did not trust his design,
[14] they burned long in the desert, and tempted God in the steppe.
[15] He granted them what they asked for and satisfied their greed.
[16] They became jealous of Moses in the camps, and Aaron, the consecrated one of the Lord.
[17] Then the earth opened and swallowed Datan, and buried the assembly of Abiron.
[18] The fire broke out in their faction and the flame devoured the rebels.
[19] They made a calf on the Horeb, prostrated themselves to an image of molten metal;
[20] they exchanged their glory with the figure of a bull eating hay.
[21] They forgot God who had saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,
[22] wonders in the land of Cam, terrible things by the Red Sea.
[23] And he had already decided to exterminate them, if Moses his chosen had not been in the breach before him, to ward off his anger from extermination.
[24] They refused a land of delights, did not believe his word.
[25] They murmured in their tents, they did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
[26] He raised his hand over them, vowing to bring them down in the desert,
[27] to disperse their descendants among the peoples and disseminate them throughout the country.
[28] They enslaved themselves in Baal-Peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead,
[29] they provoked God with such actions and a pestilence broke out between them.
[30] But Finees got up and became judge, then the plague stopped
[31] and he was counted to justice among every generation, always.
[32] They also irritated him in the waters of Meriba and Moses was punished for them,
[33] because they had tightened his soul and he said insipid words.
[34] They did not exterminate the peoples as the Lord had commanded,
[35] but they mingled with the nations and learned their works.
[36] They served their idols and these were a trap for them.
[37] They immolated their sons and daughters to false gods.
[38] They shed innocent blood, the blood of sons and daughters
sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; the earth was desecrated by blood,
[39] they defiled themselves with their works, they stained themselves with their misdeeds.
[40] The anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, his possession was in horror;
[41] and he gave them to the peoples, their adversaries dominated them,
[42] their enemies oppressed them and they had to bend under their hand.
[43] Many times he had freed them; but they persisted in their designs and because of their iniquities they were brought down.
[44] Yet he looked at their anguish when he heard their cry.
[45] He remembered his covenant with them, moved with pity for his great love.
[46] He made them find favor with those who had deported them.
[47] Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from among the peoples, because we proclaim your holy name and boast of your praise.
[48] Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel forever, forever. All the people say: Amen.
