Psalm 106:23 - Printer Friendly

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.

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.

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.

This is the last entry in what is often called "Book Four" of the psalms (Psalms 90—106). The psalm focuses on confession and humility; many reminders are given about Israel's failures compared to God's faithfulness. Notable mentions are the idol at Horeb (Exodus 32), the first arrival at Canaan (Numbers 14), and the era of Israel's judges (Judges 2:16–19). Despite these sins, the Lord maintained Israel's existence, even as He brought them punishment. Similar confessions appear in Isaiah 63, Ezekiel 20, and Nehemiah 9.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.