Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 106:33
Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.
33. Because they were rebellious against his spirit,
And he spake rashly with his lips.
The cause of Jehovah’s anger and Moses’ punishment was the rebellion of the Israelites against the guidance of God’s spirit, and the rash utterance of Moses which was its consequence. Moses’ speech “Hear now, ye rebels! out of this cliff must we fetch you water?” and his striking the rock when he was commanded to speak to it, indicates that his sin consisted in impatience and want of faith.
The usage of the verb and the parallel of Isa 63:10 are decisive in favour of taking his spirit to mean God’s spirit not Moses’ spirit: and though the term rebellion is applied to the conduct of Moses and Aaron in Num 20:24, they were rebellious must here refer to the Israelites and not to them, as Aaron has not been mentioned. Psa 106:33 a will thus be parallel to Psa 106:32 a, and 33 b to 32 b.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Because they provoked his spirit – literally, They made his spirit bitter, or they embittered his soul. They threw him off his guard, so that instead of manifesting the meekness and gentleness which so eminently characterized him in general (see Num 12:3), he gave way to expressions of anger. See Num 20:10.
So that he spake unadvisedly with his lips – Passionately; in a severe, harsh, and threatening manner. He did not bear with them as he should have done; he did not refer to God, to his power, and to his goodness as he should have done; he spake as if the whole thing depended on him and Aaron: Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? The word rendered spake unadvisedly – bata’ – means properly to babble; and then, to talk idly, or unadvisedly; to utter that which has no meaning, or an improper meaning. Let us not harshly blame Moses, until we are placed in circumstances similar to his, and see how we would ourselves act. Who is there that would not have been provoked as he was, or even to a greater degree? If there are any such, let them cast the first stone.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 33. They provoked his spirit] himru, from marah, to rebel: they brought it into a rebellious state; he was soured and irritated, and was off his guard.
So that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.] For this sentence we have only these two words in the Hebrew, vayebatte bisephathaiv, he stuttered or stammered with his lips, indicating that he was transported with anger. See the notes on Nu 20:10-12.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He spake unadvisedly: so this word is thought to signify, Lev 5:4; Pro 12:18. Or, he spake, as the word commonly signifies. Not that it was in itself a sin to speak, but because he spake when he should have been silent; or he spake to the people, when God commanded him only to speak to the rock, Num 20:8-10; or, he spake, to wit, the provocation of his spirit, or such words as were agreeable to it, and might be expected from it. He mentions not here what Moses spake, because that was fully known from the history, and because he would throw a veil over Mosess infirmity, and rather imply than express his fault.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Because they provoked his spirit;…. Though he was a very meek man, meeker than any upon the face of the earth, Nu 12:2, yet, being greatly provoked, let fall some passionate and undue expressions: and this was not only his sin, but the fault of those also that provoked him, and with this view it is mentioned. The Targum is,
“for they rebelled against his Holy Spirit;”
the Holy Spirit of God, as in Isa 63:10. Jarchi interprets it of Moses and Aaron provoking the Spirit of God; which sense is mentioned, by Aben Ezra and Kimchi; though they seem to prefer the former, and which seems best. Some interpret it of the Israelites, that they caused Moses and Aaron to provoke his Spirit.
So that he spake unadvisedly with his lips; that is, Moses spake,
saying, Hear now, ye rebels, must we, or “can we”,
fetch you water out of this rock? Which words were spoken in an angry passionate way, calling them rebels, and expressing diffidence about getting water out of the rock; which was the thing that was so displeasing to God, because they did not believe him to sanctify him in the eyes of the children of Israel, Nu 25:10. Jarchi, as before, understands this of God, of his speaking, pronouncing, and declaring, that Moses and Aaron should not bring the congregation into the land of Canaan, Nu 25:18, and so the word “unadvisedly” may be left out, and only read, “he spake with his lips”; but the other sense is to be preferred.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
33. For they grieved his spirit The verb מרה, marah, properly signifies to vex or irritate, but as it is here put in what the Hebrews call the Hiphil conjugation, some are of opinion that it is to be understood passively, to denote that it was the people who were the occasion of the rebellion; which interpretation does not appear to me to be very objectionable. I cannot, however, agree with those who would have the particle את, eth, to be a sign of what is denominated the dative case, as if Moses might be said to have rebelled against the Spirit of God. Had he done so, then assuredly the prophet would not have spoken so severely of the sin and folly into which he had inadvertently fallen. The meaning which I have already given answers very well, That the prime movers of the rebellion must have committed a very heinous offense, seeing that Moses, who had been pushed on by the impetuosity of the people to sin, was so severely dealt with by God. But while the prophet informs us that Moses was punished on the people’s account, he is not to be understood as saying that he was altogether blameless. For even admitting that his spirit was ruffled in consequence of the tumult of the people, this ought to have made him the more careful to continue steadfast in his adherence to the Law of God. He adds, that he spoke with his lips; and this I take to refer to Moses, there being no ground for the conjecture that it refers to the punishment which God expressly denounced against Moses. It is more likely that these words were intended by the prophet to express how greatly the spirit of Moses was agitated when he openly murmured against God. The prophet, therefore, informs us that the submissive and gentle spirit of Moses was fanned, as it were, into a breeze by the perverseness of the people, so that even he spake un-advisedly, saying, “Can God give you water out of the rock?” (Num 20:10) For such was the indignation which he felt burning within him, that he could not calmly wait for the commandment of God to smite the rock.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(33) They provoked his spirit.The natural interpretation is to take this of Moses spirit. So LXX. and Vulg., they embittered his spirit. The usage of the phrase is, however, in favour of referring the words to the temper of the people towards God, they rebelled against His spirit.
Spake unadvisedly.Compare the same verb with the same addition, with the lips, in Lev. 5:4. This interpretation of the fault of Moses is partial. A comparison of all the historical narratives shows that it was rather for a momentary lapse into the despairing spirit of the people, than for addressing them as rebels, that Moses was excluded from the Promised Land.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33. They provoked his spirit That is, they provoked Moses’s spirit, to whom the suffix pronoun must be understood to refer. Here was the first step in Moses’s sin. His meekness gave way to anger.
Spake unadvisedly The word rendered “spake,” means thoughtless, hasty, rash speaking, as in rashly or inconsiderately pronouncing an oath, (Lev 5:4,) and stands opposed to “the tongue of the wise,” Pro 12:18. For Moses’s speech, see Num 20:10. It was against the spirit and dignity of his office, and hence an unworthy representation of the mind and character of God. In the loss of his calm trust in God, (Num 20:12,) he lost, for the moment, his self-control, and failed both of reverent speech and accurate obedience, and the name of God was not sanctified before the people. Num 27:14; Deu 32:51. For this fault Moses was prohibited entering Canaan. Deu 3:24-26
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 106:33. So that he spake unadvisedly The word unadvisedly is added in the Translation. The original says only that he spake with his lips: the speaking with the lips, being a thing in itself indifferent and innocent, can only be concluded ill from the influence which the preceding words seem to have upon it. They provoked his spirit so that he spake with his lips; i.e. “He spake passionately as one provoked.” His passionate words, Num 20:10 express such distrust and impatience as did not become so great a minister of God.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 106:33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
Ver. 33. Because they provoked his spirit ] So that he was in a pelt to the grieving of God’s good Spirit within him, Eph 4:30-31 . O tantaene animis coelestibus irae?
So that he spake unadvisedly
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
his: i.e. Moses.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
spake unadvisedly. A very rare Hebrew word. Occurs only here in the Psalms.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Because: Num 20:10, Num 20:11
he spake: Psa 39:1, Psa 141:3, Gen 30:1, Gen 35:16-18, Job 2:10, Job 38:2, Job 40:4, Job 40:5, Job 42:7, Job 42:8, Jam 3:2
Reciprocal: Num 11:10 – Moses Num 12:3 – above Num 27:14 – ye rebelled Deu 1:37 – General Deu 3:26 – the Lord Deu 4:21 – General Job 3:1 – opened Jon 4:4 – Doest thou well to be angry Act 7:39 – whom Act 15:39 – the contention 1Co 13:5 – is not