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Psalm 106:23
ESV Therefore he said he would destroy them — had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
NIV So he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.
NASB Therefore He said that He would destroy them, If Moses, His chosen one, had not stood in the gap before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
CSB So he said he would have destroyed them— if Moses his chosen one had not stood before him in the breach to turn his wrath away from destroying them.
NLT So he declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people. He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.
KJV Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
NKJV Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.

What does Psalm 106:23 mean?

Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 106, verse-level content coming soon!
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Context Summary
Psalm 106:13–23 explains how Israel's faith faded quickly after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:30–31). They demanded meat, for which God sent a sickness (Numbers 11:4, 32–33). There was the incident of Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16) for which God destroyed several families. The people even worshipped an idol they made while Moses was talking to God (Exodus 32:2–5). For that, the people were nearly destroyed (Exodus 32:9–10) but God spared them once again.
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Chapter Summary
The psalmist calls on the people to worship God because of His loyal, merciful love for the nation of Israel. Evidence of this love is given in the form of Israel's many national sins. These included many acts of faithlessness during the exodus from Egypt, and cycles of idolatry during the conquest of Canaan. Even so, the Lord preserved the nation rather than destroying it. The song closes with another prayer for rescue and a blessing directed at God.
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