Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 106:39
Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
39. So they were defiled in their works,
And went a whoring in their doings.
As the relation of Israel to Jehovah is expressed by the figure of marriage (Hos 2:2 ff., and often), the abandonment of Jehovah for other gods is described as infidelity to the marriage vow. Cp. Exo 34:15-16; Deu 31:16: &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thus were they defiled with their own works – By their very attempts to deliver themselves from sin. They were corrupt, and the consciousness that they were sinners led them to the commission of even greater enormities in attempting to expiate their guilt, even by the sacrifice of their own sons and daughters. Thus all the religions of the pagan begin in sin, and end in sin. The consciousness of sin only leads to the commission of greater sin; to all the abominations of idol-worship; to the sacrifice – the murder – of the innocent, with the vain hope of thus making expiation for their crimes. Sinners have never yet been able to devise a way by which they may make themselves pure. It is only the great Sacrifice made on the cross which meets the case; which provides expiation; and which saves from future sin.
And went a whoring – Apostacy from God and backsliding are ofen illustrated in the Scriptures by the violation of the marriage compact, as the relation between God and his people is often compared with the relation between a husband and wife. Compare Isa 62:5; Jer 3:14; Jer 7:9; Jer 13:27; Eze 16:20, Eze 16:22, Eze 16:25, Eze 16:33-34; Eze 23:17.
With their own inventions – More literally, With their own works. See the notes at Psa 106:29.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 39. And went a whoring.] By fornication, whoredom, and idolatry, the Scripture often expresses idolatry and idolatrous acts. I have given the reason of this in other places. Besides being false to the true God, to whom they are represented as betrothed and married, (and their acts of idolatry were breaches of this solemn engagement,) the worship of idols was frequently accompanied with various acts of impurity.
The translation in the Anglo-Saxon is very remarkable: [A.S.] and they fornicated. In Anglo-Saxon, [A.S.] signifies to fire, to ignite; [A.S.] to commit adultery. So [A.S.] is a prostitute, a whore; and [A.S.] is to go a whoring, to fornicate; probably from [A.S.], or [A.S.] to fire, and [A.S.], to lie, or [A.S.], a glutton; – one who lies with fire, who is ignited by it, who is greedily intent upon the act by which he is inflamed. And do not the words themselves show that in former times whoredom was punished, as it is now, by a disease which produces the sensation of burning in the unhappy prostitutes, whether male or female? And to this meaning the following seems particularly to be applicable.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Committed spiritual whoredom, by worshipping those idols which were but human inventions, and that in such an unnatural and bloody manner, as they had devised.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
34-39. They not only failed toexpel the heathen, as God
commanded (Exo 23:32;Exo 23:33), literally, “said(they should),” but conformed to their idolatries [Ps106:36], and thus became spiritual adulterers (Ps73:27).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thus were they defiled with their own works,…. Not the land only, but they themselves also; or “with their works” a, with the works of the Heathen they learned, Ps 106:35, or rather with their own works, the works of the flesh, especially their shocking idolatries: sin is of a defiling nature; it has defiled all men, it defiles all of men, all the faculties of their souls, and all the members of their bodies; nor can anything truly and thoroughly cleanse from it but the blood of Christ: even men’s works of righteousness are as filthy rags and defiling, and much more their evil works.
And went a whoring with their own inventions; after other gods; idolatry is often in Scripture signified by whoredom; the idolatry of Israel and Judah is represented by two harlots and their lewd practices, in Eze 23:1 and hence the apostate church of Rome is compared to a whore, because of her idolatry, Re 17:1.
a “operibus earum”, Muis; so Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
39 And they were polluted with their own works He now concludes by stating generally, that the Jews, in adopting the abominable practices of the heathen, were become wholly filthy; because in all the devices of men there is nothing else than impurity. He denominates as the works of men all the false worship which they devise without the Divine sanction; as if he should say, that the holiness, which is truly connected with the worship of God, comes from his word, and that all human inventions and admixtures in religion are profane, and tend to corrupt the service of God. Doubtless it was the intention of the Israelites to serve God, but the Holy Spirit declares that all the fruit of their burning zeal was their becoming more abominable in God’s sight by their lewd inventions. For a strict adherence to the word of God constitutes spiritual chastity.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
39. Thus were they defiled See Jdg 2:11-13
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Ver. 39. Thus were they defiled ] Great sins do greatly pollute; neither are men by anything more disadvantaged than by doting upon their own devices.
And went a whoring
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
defiled: Isa 24:5, Isa 24:6, Isa 59:3, Eze 20:18, Eze 20:30, Eze 20:31, Eze 20:43
went: Exo 34:16, Lev 17:7, Lev 20:5, Lev 20:6, Num 15:39, Jer 3:1, Jer 3:2, Jer 3:6-9, Eze 16:15-63, Eze 23:3-49, Hos 9:1, Rev 17:1-6
their own: Psa 106:29
Reciprocal: Deu 31:16 – and go a Jdg 2:17 – whoring Jdg 8:27 – a whoring 1Ki 12:33 – in the month 2Ki 16:10 – the pattern 2Ch 21:11 – fornication Ecc 7:29 – they Jer 2:7 – ye defiled Eze 23:7 – with all their Hos 1:2 – for Hos 11:6 – because Rom 1:30 – inventors
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went {x} a whoring with their own inventions.
(x) Then true chastity is to cleave wholly and only to God.